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On the day of an important music competition, talented but painfully introverted and nervous Deirdre Monaghan is helped to perform by the compelling and enigmatic Luke Dillon and finds herself inexorably drawn into the mysteries and dangers of the faerie world.Tags
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Tithe by Holly Black
by inblackink
SandSing7 A love triangle between a "bright" fairy like person, a "plain" girl, and a best friend that has some special powers, but suffers from not being the "it" guy. Deirdre is, however, a powerhouse of a female character unlike the boring Bella.
Member Reviews
16-year-old Deirdre is super-gifted as a harpist and at everything else she puts her mind to, really. That doesn't meant she doesn't get incredibly nervous before every performance, so much so that she needs to vomit every time before hitting the stage. When a strange (and absolutely gorgeous) boy appears in the restroom to hold her hair during one such regurgitation session, things start getting weird really fast: she keeps finding four-leaf clovers laying around, followed by actual Fair Folk, her annoying aunt becomes even more so on a grand scale, her grandma reacts in a weirdly-hostile way to Strange Gorgeous New Maybe Boyfriend, and her best friend seems to be approaching an awkward declaration of love that Deirdre really doesn't show more want to deal with at the moment. When the fairies turn dangerous, she needs to decide if she can trust Handsome But Still Sort of Weird Boy, but the most difficult bit may be deciding that she can trust her own self and her abilities. This was much more romance than I usually go for in a novel, but like all other Stiefvater works I've read, it was absolutely excellent and I can't wait to read the second book. show less
Lament veers from what looks like it might be the current formula for YA paranormal romance:
girl, painfully ordinary, meets boy, spectacularly wonderful, and finds out she's not so normal after all, in addition to landing a hottie.
Dee does not start out boring or blank or ordinary. She is a harp prodigy, not unexpected in a family of musical virtuosos, which makes her stand our from her peers even if it doesn't make her popular. She spends her weekends playing fancy dinner parties and weddings, her summers at music competitions -- competitions in which she places well. She has interests! and a personality! and talent coming out the whazzoo! She's so much better than Bella! Sorry, that last one slipped out. And I'm not even a show more Twilight-hater.
But on to the rest of the book.
Stiefvater manages to weave a lot of faerie-lore throughout this story, without it turning into a Lisa Frank extravaganza or seeming any less current or more princess-y. These are not nice faeries. While Dee is taken aback by a lot of what happens (being attacked by a monster-sized, panther-type creature while at a wedding reception without anyone else noticing could throw anyone off. also, not nice), she gets the hang of everything real quick. She clearly has some background knowledge of faeries and what they're capable of. It is this knowledge, let me rephrase: her own damn smarts, that save her more often than not, although Luke does manage to get a few dramatic rescues in as well.
Everything I know about faeries I learned from Lady Cottington or Marion Zimmer Bradley, so I did not know many of the little tips that Dee has picked up from a lifetime of playing/singing Irish folk songs on her harp. And yet, I never felt out of the loop. Stiefvater does a great job of immersing the reader in Dee's and the Faeries' world without getting too didactic or explanatory. And then she throws all of what I thought she was telling me on its head so that Dee and Luke can fall in lurv.
In short, give this to Twilight fans and Twilight haters. This is paranormal romance without the clueless, helpless love interest.
Also: She didn't make it into my review (Luke barely made it into my review, I was so happy about a stronger female lead), but I thank and applaud Stiefvater for making the hot, ditsy side character important and solid by the end. James (Dee's best friend, who also didn't make it into my review) is great, but I'm glad Dee got to have a girl-friend to gush about Luke with. And to help her save all the boys. show less
girl, painfully ordinary, meets boy, spectacularly wonderful, and finds out she's not so normal after all, in addition to landing a hottie.
Dee does not start out boring or blank or ordinary. She is a harp prodigy, not unexpected in a family of musical virtuosos, which makes her stand our from her peers even if it doesn't make her popular. She spends her weekends playing fancy dinner parties and weddings, her summers at music competitions -- competitions in which she places well. She has interests! and a personality! and talent coming out the whazzoo! She's so much better than Bella! Sorry, that last one slipped out. And I'm not even a show more Twilight-hater.
But on to the rest of the book.
Stiefvater manages to weave a lot of faerie-lore throughout this story, without it turning into a Lisa Frank extravaganza or seeming any less current or more princess-y. These are not nice faeries. While Dee is taken aback by a lot of what happens (being attacked by a monster-sized, panther-type creature while at a wedding reception without anyone else noticing could throw anyone off. also, not nice), she gets the hang of everything real quick. She clearly has some background knowledge of faeries and what they're capable of. It is this knowledge, let me rephrase: her own damn smarts, that save her more often than not, although Luke does manage to get a few dramatic rescues in as well.
Everything I know about faeries I learned from Lady Cottington or Marion Zimmer Bradley, so I did not know many of the little tips that Dee has picked up from a lifetime of playing/singing Irish folk songs on her harp. And yet, I never felt out of the loop. Stiefvater does a great job of immersing the reader in Dee's and the Faeries' world without getting too didactic or explanatory. And then she throws all of what I thought she was telling me on its head so that Dee and Luke can fall in lurv.
In short, give this to Twilight fans and Twilight haters. This is paranormal romance without the clueless, helpless love interest.
Also: She didn't make it into my review (Luke barely made it into my review, I was so happy about a stronger female lead), but I thank and applaud Stiefvater for making the hot, ditsy side character important and solid by the end. James (Dee's best friend, who also didn't make it into my review) is great, but I'm glad Dee got to have a girl-friend to gush about Luke with. And to help her save all the boys. show less
I should start by saying that I loved THE SCORPIO RACES. I say that so you can try to get a feel for the type of literature I like. The Scorpio Races had such depth. Wonderful characters. Brilliant descriptions. I left the book feeling like I knew the little town, the rain swept island, and it's people.
LAMENT, in contrast, I do not like. It's not a horrible book, but there is something about the plot that reminds me of the middle-school literature that I read (and don't like). I would, in fact, suggest it for middle-graders except for the occasional explicative, and mild sexual content.
One problem for me are the characters. They are fairly flimsy and two dimensional. The males fall into the usual categories. The 'friend' who is in love show more with the heroine, but doesn't tell her. And the romantic-interest/bad-boy who is supposed to be tremendously sexy, but seemed rather 'meh' to me.
Now a book CAN have these features and still be fun and interesting. But to qualify as a good read the writing and plotting needs to be extraordinary, or at least above average. LAMENT doesn't have this level of writing. The descriptions are pale; the plotting slow and tedious. I had to push myself through the pages, only to arrive at the end to be faced with this huge plot discontinuity.
So I wouldn't put this high on your To-be-read list. show less
LAMENT, in contrast, I do not like. It's not a horrible book, but there is something about the plot that reminds me of the middle-school literature that I read (and don't like). I would, in fact, suggest it for middle-graders except for the occasional explicative, and mild sexual content.
One problem for me are the characters. They are fairly flimsy and two dimensional. The males fall into the usual categories. The 'friend' who is in love show more with the heroine, but doesn't tell her. And the romantic-interest/bad-boy who is supposed to be tremendously sexy, but seemed rather 'meh' to me.
Now a book CAN have these features and still be fun and interesting. But to qualify as a good read the writing and plotting needs to be extraordinary, or at least above average. LAMENT doesn't have this level of writing. The descriptions are pale; the plotting slow and tedious. I had to push myself through the pages, only to arrive at the end to be faced with this huge plot discontinuity.
So I wouldn't put this high on your To-be-read list. show less
Wow, this story really grew on me.
At first, I rolled my eyes, sighed, groaned, and lolled my head around every single time Luke made another appearance because he was just another one of those love interests. But then, when I really started to think about it, and forgive me my inner feminist, what's so bad about having the leading woman getting a super attractive guy? All the men have been getting perfect princesses in stories for centuries.
However, I start having problems when these super-hot dudes begin bordering on stalkerish behavior, which Luke had a tendency to do at some points. Also, Deirdre's a smart girl, so why didn't she ever feel wary about hanging out with Luke when he continually told her he was a dangerous guy? It took show more her absolute proof of his past to convince her he was a not-so-innocent fellow. Other than that, and Luke's annoying pet name, "pretty girl" and his sexist remarks that were never addressed and/or corrected, which made me want to smack him, their relationship was quite touching and pretty to read.
All in all, though, the best part about this book was the faeries. They actually acted like faeries. Imagine that! I can't even begin to describe how refreshing they were to experience and to learn about. They weren't some creatures made to appear romantic or to fulfill some fantasy of the author or whatever crap some people write nowadays. That aspect was brilliant.
Although four-leaf clovers really aren't all that rare . . . in case anyone was wondering.
Lament was a nice read and, though it was too slow for me at times, and I didn't think the love triangle had a point, as well as some of the characters, I enjoyed it far more than I expected to. show less
At first, I rolled my eyes, sighed, groaned, and lolled my head around every single time Luke made another appearance because he was just another one of those love interests. But then, when I really started to think about it, and forgive me my inner feminist, what's so bad about having the leading woman getting a super attractive guy? All the men have been getting perfect princesses in stories for centuries.
However, I start having problems when these super-hot dudes begin bordering on stalkerish behavior, which Luke had a tendency to do at some points. Also, Deirdre's a smart girl, so why didn't she ever feel wary about hanging out with Luke when he continually told her he was a dangerous guy? It took show more her absolute proof of his past to convince her he was a not-so-innocent fellow. Other than that, and Luke's annoying pet name, "pretty girl" and his sexist remarks that were never addressed and/or corrected, which made me want to smack him, their relationship was quite touching and pretty to read.
All in all, though, the best part about this book was the faeries. They actually acted like faeries. Imagine that! I can't even begin to describe how refreshing they were to experience and to learn about. They weren't some creatures made to appear romantic or to fulfill some fantasy of the author or whatever crap some people write nowadays. That aspect was brilliant.
Although four-leaf clovers really aren't all that rare . . . in case anyone was wondering.
Lament was a nice read and, though it was too slow for me at times, and I didn't think the love triangle had a point, as well as some of the characters, I enjoyed it far more than I expected to. show less
I LOVED this book. For the most part. Like all of Maggie Stiefvater's books, the writing was beautifully descriptive and intriguing to read. I do have two complaints though...
1) Throughout the book, I didn't really see the plot forming - that is, when Dee found out that she had to face the fairy queen, it was like the main conflict was just starting, but I was already almost done with the book. However, I don't feel like this contributed to making the book any less amazing than it is. I sort of like that it was different from other books in that the characters could not prepare and were kept in the dark most of the time.
2) The ending was SO abrupt. So much so that if you were keeping up with the book the entire time, at the end it just show more shot out in front of you and left you in the dust, standing, shocked, with no idea what just happened. This is the ABSOLUTE ONLY reason that this book gets four stars instead of five.
This ties in with my the above paragraph; if the conflict had been uncovered earlier, then the ending could have been longer and would have made more sense. I didn't like that one minute the Queen is in control and the next Dee has power over her but Dee isn't controlling her and then the next minute, ELEANOR is queen and it felt like Dee never even defeated the enemy. And, can we talk about THIS: ELEANOR?????? Really? And then she just lets Dee and Luke go and doesn't give it a second thought? Isn't she supposed to be evil????? I don't know... it just doesn't really click for me.
Other than that, this book was amazing. At first, I was cautious because the last two books I've read I've been really excited for but then were terrible, but after I kept reading this one, I realized that I loved it. In the beginning, I HATED Luke, because, again, I thought he would be the stereotypical love interest who makes the main character melt whenever he's around and has all of the control in the relationship but as I read on, I realized that he wasn't so bad. He and Dee both have control in the relationship and he does not make her vulnerable but instead makes her strong. (But I still like James better... come ON Dee!)
So, to summarize, this book was pretty amazing, but didn't have quite enough structure in the plot, leading to an abrupt ending with parts that didn't really make sense. Despite this, I loved the characters, ideas, and the overall storyline of the book and I am really looking forward to seeing what the author does with the second book, centered around James. show less
1) Throughout the book, I didn't really see the plot forming - that is, when Dee found out that she had to face the fairy queen, it was like the main conflict was just starting, but I was already almost done with the book. However, I don't feel like this contributed to making the book any less amazing than it is. I sort of like that it was different from other books in that the characters could not prepare and were kept in the dark most of the time.
2) The ending was SO abrupt. So much so that if you were keeping up with the book the entire time, at the end it just show more shot out in front of you and left you in the dust, standing, shocked, with no idea what just happened. This is the ABSOLUTE ONLY reason that this book gets four stars instead of five.
This ties in with my the above paragraph; if the conflict had been uncovered earlier, then the ending could have been longer and would have made more sense. I didn't like that one minute the Queen is in control and the next Dee has power over her but Dee isn't controlling her and then the next minute, ELEANOR is queen and it felt like Dee never even defeated the enemy. And, can we talk about THIS: ELEANOR?????? Really? And then she just lets Dee and Luke go and doesn't give it a second thought? Isn't she supposed to be evil????? I don't know... it just doesn't really click for me.
Other than that, this book was amazing. At first, I was cautious because the last two books I've read I've been really excited for but then were terrible, but after I kept reading this one, I realized that I loved it. In the beginning, I HATED Luke, because, again, I thought he would be the stereotypical love interest who makes the main character melt whenever he's around and has all of the control in the relationship but as I read on, I realized that he wasn't so bad. He and Dee both have control in the relationship and he does not make her vulnerable but instead makes her strong. (But I still like James better... come ON Dee!)
So, to summarize, this book was pretty amazing, but didn't have quite enough structure in the plot, leading to an abrupt ending with parts that didn't really make sense. Despite this, I loved the characters, ideas, and the overall storyline of the book and I am really looking forward to seeing what the author does with the second book, centered around James. show less
I have tried a number of other urban fantasy-type books lately that promised me a thrilling lush romance. This is the only one that has really delivered. Maybe it just presses my buttons, but I totally bought the chemistry between Deirdre and Luke. And oh, the ending. Ow. It's been a while since I found a romance that really twisted my heart the way I sometimes want it twisted.
Despite all that, I definitely had a soft-spot for James. I am a sucker for the witty male best friend.
I also loved that the main character is a harpist, and that Celtic music figures so prominently in the plot. Go musicians! I particularly enjoyed the song excerpts at the beginning of each section of the novel.
I am very much looking forward to the sequel!
Despite all that, I definitely had a soft-spot for James. I am a sucker for the witty male best friend.
I also loved that the main character is a harpist, and that Celtic music figures so prominently in the plot. Go musicians! I particularly enjoyed the song excerpts at the beginning of each section of the novel.
I am very much looking forward to the sequel!
Deirdre Monaghan is just your average super-talented harpist. Then a boy walks out of her dreams and straight into her life. Deirdre knows that the attractive and slightly dangerous Luke Dillon is no human, but she is hardly prepared for what he is: the faerie queen’s soulless assassin, a human who rejected her and is now forced to kill all she believes is a threat to her.
Luke was sent to kill Deirdre, but neither of them anticipated falling in love with each other. Now, Luke is risking his life to save hers, but Deirdre is not going to let the evil faerie queen walk all over her and destroy her and her family, friends, and loves. Maybe Deirdre is more of a threat to the queen than she herself thought…
Maggie Stiefvater is going to show more be the rising voice of YA faerie fiction, I can tell. She writes brilliantly, the story is intricate yet satisfying, and, most of all, her characters are the kind you’ll want to fall in love with or be.
We are thrown right into the story from the very beginning, which is confusing for about the first half of the book, as we do not know Luke’s unspeakable history or his connection to Deirdre and the amount of danger she is in. Fortunately, Maggie Stiefvater’s writing totally makes up for that: Deirdre’s narrative tone can be described as “irreverent:” she’s a witty and self-deprecating observer who still manages to pull kick-butt abilities out of thin air as if she’d been born to do it all along.
The characters are truly what make this book. Deirdre is your ideal female protagonist, and Luke her heartbreakingly dazzling male counterpart. Even secondary characters—such as James, Deirdre’s wisecracking best friend, and Una, a bold faerie—take on full shape and importance. It didn’t matter how confusing the beginning was, because once I really got into the book, it was impossible to put down, that’s how deep my connection to the characters was.
LAMENT leaves off on a bittersweet note, and I can’t tell you how eager I am for the release of BALLAD, a companion book. If I could devour Maggie’s writing as food all day, I would. Instead, I will be content to reread LAMENT over and over again, desperately waiting for what she has to show us next. show less
Luke was sent to kill Deirdre, but neither of them anticipated falling in love with each other. Now, Luke is risking his life to save hers, but Deirdre is not going to let the evil faerie queen walk all over her and destroy her and her family, friends, and loves. Maybe Deirdre is more of a threat to the queen than she herself thought…
Maggie Stiefvater is going to show more be the rising voice of YA faerie fiction, I can tell. She writes brilliantly, the story is intricate yet satisfying, and, most of all, her characters are the kind you’ll want to fall in love with or be.
We are thrown right into the story from the very beginning, which is confusing for about the first half of the book, as we do not know Luke’s unspeakable history or his connection to Deirdre and the amount of danger she is in. Fortunately, Maggie Stiefvater’s writing totally makes up for that: Deirdre’s narrative tone can be described as “irreverent:” she’s a witty and self-deprecating observer who still manages to pull kick-butt abilities out of thin air as if she’d been born to do it all along.
The characters are truly what make this book. Deirdre is your ideal female protagonist, and Luke her heartbreakingly dazzling male counterpart. Even secondary characters—such as James, Deirdre’s wisecracking best friend, and Una, a bold faerie—take on full shape and importance. It didn’t matter how confusing the beginning was, because once I really got into the book, it was impossible to put down, that’s how deep my connection to the characters was.
LAMENT leaves off on a bittersweet note, and I can’t tell you how eager I am for the release of BALLAD, a companion book. If I could devour Maggie’s writing as food all day, I would. Instead, I will be content to reread LAMENT over and over again, desperately waiting for what she has to show us next. show less
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Author Information
71+ Works 52,854 Members
Maggie Stiefvater is the author of the bestselling Shiver Trilogy (Shiver, Linger and Forever) and The Raven Cycle Series. She is also the author of a book in the Spirit Animals Series (Hunted). Her title Sinner made The New York Times Best Seller List in 2014. Maggie attended Mary Washington College, graduating with a B.A. in history. She is also show more an artist, equestrian, musician, and technical editor. She enjoys writing full time from her home in Virginia. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception
- Original title
- Lament
- Original publication date
- 2008
- People/Characters
- Deirdre Monaghan; Luke Dillon; James Morgan; Eleanor; Una; Brendan
- Epigraph
- Book One: You've left my heart shaken with a hopeless desolation, I'd have you to know It's the wonders of admiration your quiet face has taken and your beauty will haunt me wherever I go. - Bridgit O'Malley
Book Two: Now when we're out a-sailing and you are far behind fine letters will I write to you with the secrets of my mind, The secrets of my mind, my girl, you're the girl that I adore, And still I live in hope to see the Ho... (show all)ly Ground once more. You're the girl that I adore, and still I live in hope to see the Holy Ground once more. - "The Holy Ground"
Book Three: I sat within a valley green, Sat there with my true love, And my fond heart strove to choose between the old love and the new love... While soft the wind blew down the glade and shook the golden barely. - "The Win... (show all)d That Shakes the Barley"
Book Four: The Minstrel Boy to the war is gone - in the ranks of death you will find him. - "The Minstrel Boy"
Book Five: My love, fond and true, What else could I do - But shield you from wind and from weather? When the shots fall like hail, They us both shall assail - And mayhap we shall die together. - "Ned of the Hill"
Book Six: All you who are in love aye and cannot it remove I pity the pain that you endure. For experience lets me know that your hearts are filled with woe. It's a woe that no mortal can cure. - "The Curragh of Kildare" - Dedication
- To my dad, because he's like me,
and Ed, because he's not. - First words
- He didn't know how long he'd been clinging there.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Get your harp.
- Blurbers
- Smith, Cynthia Leitich; Mead, Richelle
- Original language
- English
Classifications
- Genres
- Teen, Fiction and Literature, Young Adult, Fantasy
- DDC/MDS
- 813.6 — Literature & rhetoric American literature in English American fiction in English 2000-
- LCC
- PZ7 .S855625 .L — Language and Literature Fiction and juvenile belles lettres Fiction and juvenile belles lettres Juvenile belles lettres
- BISAC
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- 1,973
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- Reviews
- 94
- Rating
- (3.74)
- Languages
- 8 — Czech, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Latvian, Polish
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 24
- ASINs
- 10